August 20, 2017
Grow and reproduce
After a few dry days, today was the last dive of the expedition and Scotland has left its mark.
It is the kingdom of the crustaceans: velvet crabs, brown crabs, lobsters…we find a pair of claws guarding the entrance to almost every crack, every hole.
The interesting thing we came across was a velvet crab in the middle of molting. The way crustaceans grow is fascinating: they shed their shell (exoskeleton) as if it were a glove. Little by little its new shell absorbs water and hardens, growing to almost twice its size.
It is a critical moment for their survival and many crustaceans die in the attempt. Surprisingly, this is the only time that some species can reproduce: the male velvet crab protects the female while she molts, waiting for its chance to mate.